El Jibarito is absolutely worth the visit if you're looking for authentic Puerto Rican food. We had…read morethe lechón con salsa de plátano, and it was absolutely delicious--full of flavor and cooked perfectly! We were a large group, so there was about a 30-minute wait for a table, but that's part of the fonda-style experience. Tables turn over as people finish their meals, and while you're waiting, you can relax with an ice-cold Medalla, which makes the time go by quickly. A special thank you to the staff for the excellent service and warm hospitality. The food, the atmosphere, and the friendly staff made this one of our favorite dining experiences in Old San Juan. We will definitely be back!

We came to El Jibarito for dinner after it was recommended by Yelp as it had a 4-star rating. We…read moredid have a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The restaurant is absolutely adorable inside and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Once we were seated, the service was quick and attentive. There were four of us in our party, and we started with the pizza turnovers. They were delicious, although I do wish they had a little more filling. I ordered the tamale. While it wasn't quite to my personal taste, I could tell it was well made and I'm sure others who enjoy that style of tamale would love it. My husband had the baked chicken and really liked it. My friend ordered the salmon and said it was moist and very flavorful, and her husband had the garlic chicken, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, everyone in our group was happy with their meals. Between the cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and tasty food, I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Old San Juan.

Came here for the Pina Coladas, stayed for literally everything else! PR had me in a Sangria &…read moreMofongo Chokehold! It literally doesn't get better than that! This spot was in walking distance from our bnb in San Juan - 10/10, it was cute and lively. It kinda gave sports bar vibes but we enjoyed it! The service was amazing! Like everywhere else in PR. The food, easy- delicious! Drinks, amazing, food amazinger?! Lol we had a time here and enjoyed every second! Great place to stop for some PR staples and a fun atmosphere!

We had dinner tonight at Raices in Old San Juan because several people recommended it…read more Unfortunately, I can't recommend it based on our experience. The inside of the restaurant is absolutely adorable, and the servers are dressed in traditional-style Puerto Rican attire, which adds to the atmosphere and charm. Our server was wonderful--very friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely pleasant throughout the meal. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the experience. I ordered the red snapper, which was quite dry, and the garlic sauce lacked flavor. I also informed the server that I do not like cilantro, but my beans arrived with cilantro in them. They were graciously replaced with plantains, which I appreciated. While the service and ambiance were excellent, the food simply did not meet my expectations. Because of that, I would not return or recommend this restaurant.

Amazing service for such a large group last minute. Food…read moreand drinks were out of this world. The skirt steak was some of the best steak I've ever had especially for the price. Grouper was so refreshing and creole sauce was phenomenal. Such a cute restaurant with amazing art anf cut little homemade crafts to buy at the entrance if you'd like!

We ate at Café El Punto, and what a cute restaurant! As you walk in, the center of the building is…read moreopen to the ceiling, giving it a bright, airy feel. There are enclosed, air-conditioned dining rooms on either side, which was a welcome relief from the Puerto Rico heat. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and it just has a great vibe. I ordered the stuffed avocado with shrimp. I had seen stuffed avocados on several menus during our trip, so I'm glad I finally tried one. It was delicious and something I can't easily find back home. Everyone else in our group enjoyed their meals as well. One thing to note is that the restrooms are located through another doorway that leads outside to an enclosed bathroom area. It was extremely hot out there, so just be prepared. There was only one other party dining in our room, which made for a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. The service was very good, and overall we had a wonderful experience. When you enter the restaurant, you walk through a shopping area of handmade items beautiful items so take the time to shop either on the way in or the way out I would definitely recommend Café El Punto if you're visiting Old San Juan.

The food here lives up to the hype! I did not care for the bacalaitos appetizer, but the pork and…read morethe beef were fantastic. On top of that, the mofongo (or did I get the trifongo? sorry, I forget, it's been a month) here was the best I've had in PR; it was well-seasoned and perfectly savory. This was probably my favorite place to have eaten at in PR, and I actually miss the food *cries in California* The space was cozy, and service was friendly if slow. If we had stayed more than a night, I definitely would've had more than one meal here.

This place was alright but credit to a delicious mofongo!…read more Everything came out on paper plates, plastic cups, and also a red solo cup. That seems to be different than all the images i see here. The virgin piña colada was $10 compared to a different review i see here showing less. The vibe was awkward with us being the only group, not much branding, and the paper plates. Good for if you're out shopping in old san juan but nothing crazy that since i didn't grab a picture of the food.

This restaurant has been on my San Juan list and it happened to be near my Airbnb so it was a no…read morebrainer for my friends and I to visit. Since I've always seen the long lines outside this store when I passed by, we decided that we try to go in as soon as it opened. So, we lined up around 11:30am. We barely waited much and we got seated. The server that day was quick/efficient/friendly despite the fact that she was running a one woman show. And the food arrived within a decent time. My friends and I decided to order the PUERTO RICAN PLATTER with a side of a side salad. This platter comes with everything you could want & maybe something that might be a bit adventurous for you to eat like blood sausage. Despite that, it's a nice platter to share and try a bit of everything. It's really nice that if you order for 4 people, they give you exactly the amount of pieces that are divisible by 4 (so everyone can try 1-2 pieces of each thing evenly). It also comes with a decent amount of rice/pork as a supplementation, which was nice. It's a balanced meal. And I think the side salad did well to balance out all the fried foods. Overall, we really enjoyed this place. It's a great place to come with friends/families to share. It's a great place as a visitor to try a bit of everything. The platter is a great introduction of puerto rican fried finger foods. And it all taste great! From the presentation of the food to the service here, it's all good. I would recommend this place to others.

We were in old San Juan and wanted some authentic Puerto Rican food. I found this spot on Yelp and…read morewas surprised to know this was a TikTok favorite. The restaurant is medium sized, so for the sake of space they make you wait outside for a table. Our group of 7 was seated pretty easily but it also wasn't too packed when we arrived. Their menu is written on a chalkboard and from my knowledge, they don't provide any physical copies. My table got a variety of things but me in particular, I ordered the Puerto Rican sampler. We split it between 3 people and they said it could feed 4 but hmmm, I'd be skeptical of that. I think no more than 2 comfortably honestly as a meal. The sampler was delicious though and had all the main things I wanted. The corn fritters were a hit and the steak was well cooked and seasoned. While the food was good, the wait was a little long and the service was mid (not bad but not the best we've had). Solid 4 stars

I guess Mallorca is a traditional sweet bread with powdered sugar on top. Our funny waiter who…read morespeaks lightning fast Spanish but also does pretty well with English gave us samples of Mallorca. We ordered more with bacon, egg, cheese, and some with ham and cheese. They were serving lunch so we tried the Pernïl and rice and beans. We also got a salmon plate and a chicken cacciatore cooked in Spanish rice. The restaurant is old and very unassuming, but it doesn't stop the crowds of people to come and visit and see old San Juan history which this building has to be part of. It's not glamorous but you feel like you transported back into the very early years of Old San Juan when maybe it was still just San Juan.

A MUST if you're staying in Old San Juan!! The greatest breakfast in a really traditional…read moreold-school cafeteria. Pictures of Old San Juan in the early 1900s line the walls to show how little the town has changed in the past century, and Mallorca Cafetería is a gem that has withstood the test of time. Definitely an affordable breakfast as the most expensive mallorca is still under $10. Cafe con leche in styrofoam cups is a staple that is great even in the heat. Definitely worth getting a cup of orange juice as it is freshly squeezed to order. During my stay in Puerto Rico I had several mallorcas around the island but none come close to what I consider the original. Pressed and doused in powdered sugar it's surprisingly both light and filling. We had tried coming at around 9a the previous day and there was already a long line outside so we chose go to somewhere else but made sure we were out the door by 6:30a the next day to get to Mallorca before it opened and there was still a bit of a line. We were able to get in and situate ourselves once they opened at 7a; there are lots of small tables with chairs which we chose because we had a larger group but if dining solo or with one person it's definitely a great experience to sit at the bar for a more traditional feel. Again, this is a must for me every time I am in San Juan and I'm happy to carve out some time for one of the greatest breakfasts you can have. Would rate ten stars if it were possible.

We came here for lunch as a group of 4. We started with the Alcapurrias. It was good, but nothing…read morespecial to me. Then we had the goat fricase, cod and pork chops. The goat fricase's sauce was amazing. It was full of flavor and eating it with the rice and beans was a joy. The cod was perfectly cooked and was delicious. Then my favorite was the pork chops. They pre-cut it for us since we were eating family style. The skin was so crispy and the pork was so flavorful, I smiled the entire time I ate it. Service was very good.

This restaurant is exactly the kind of place you'd want to bring your SO to. It's very romantic,…read moreit's got a live band, and the music is loud enough to listen and enjoy, but soft enough to have conversation. The food was a joy from start to finish. I started with a drink that resembles an espresso martini, but very inspired by the locality. We shared cassava baskets filled with ropa vieja and some local cheese. This was incredible but I did find the cassava shell tough to chew. My main dish was the catch of the day, which was snapper (absolutely delightful!) the snapper was served with a dollop of mashed potatoes and tostines! Everything here was incredible though I did find two of the tostones tough to chew. Dessert was bread pudding using Mallorca bread with coconut and guava alongside a scoop of ice cream. This was a bit of a let down, but still wonderful. Service could be better? We did feel like everything took a long time due to the waiters absence. Otherwise, this place was great! Do come!

Amazing Paella Sangria and Flamenco Show! Good service nice ambience. Restaurant has a history used…read moreto be a Local Bank in the sixties.

Place is outdated, but spacious. They offer a flamenco show at 7:30 that is so worth watching…read more Juan Carlos is amazing. As for the service, so-so. Our waiter was not very attentive nor ready to provide recommendations. He showed up only when called over to the table. Ordered the croquettes and the were still raw inside. Overcooked on the outside. Let him know and he said yes, I don't like that texture. Really, he could have said something when I ordered them. The octopus was bland, the patatas bravas had a nice spicy flavor. The risotto was nicely sized, but lacked flavor. Overall service lacking, food average, show amazing.

Permanently closed per Google (we couldn't find it). But Brasas in the same area was AMAZING! Try…read morethe stuffed mofongos.

Wonderful restaurant! We have been twice and loved each time. I am vegetarian while my husband is…read morenot. Chef Josh made an amazing vegetarian stuffed pepper dish that was not on the regular menu. Wonderful to have a chef that can accommodate and create tastey dish. Friendly service, great food and nice location. I will continue to frequent this restaruant.

I came in with a serious hankering for beef, and on paper this was the right call. Beef, beef, and…read moremore beef, with a big menu full of options and a good location surrounded by plenty more to do. After a full day of touristing, I'd built up exactly the kind of appetite this place is designed for. The vibe was solid. Chill, relaxed, easy place to sit back with a drink, and they've got TVs around if you want something to watch. The service was nice too. So far so good. Here's where it falls apart, and why I landed on three stars: the food just didn't deliver. The quality and taste weren't there for me. It felt like a fairly generic American steakhouse, which is not what I was hoping for in San Juan. Good hang, disappointing meal. I wanted to love it and just couldn't get there on the food.

Conveniently located right by the port, which tells you something about the crowd it draws -- but…read morethat doesn't mean it's not worth a stop. Vaca Brava is a no-frills, gets-the-job-done kind of place, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Easy to get a reservation, which is a plus when you're navigating Old San Juan on a busy day. The space is casual and unpretentious, and the menu leans into Puerto Rican staples without trying to reinvent anything. I had the mofongo with sweet plantains -- a generous, satisfying plate, well-seasoned and exactly what you want when you're in PR. My daughter had a steak and was happy with it. The food is solid across the board, the portions are good, and the price is fair for the location. It's not going to be the meal you talk about for years, but it delivers what it promises. Good value, great spot to recharge after a morning exploring Old San Juan, and the location alone earns some points.